


My Best-Friend

by needsmoresleep



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Amnesia, Anime, F/M, Female Sasuke, Genderbending, Heir, Knights - Freeform, Memories, Memory Loss, Murder, Princess - Freeform, Sasuke - Freeform, kingdom - Freeform, naruto - Freeform, naruto uzumaki - Freeform, sasuke uchiha - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-22
Updated: 2013-09-22
Packaged: 2017-12-27 08:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/976511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/needsmoresleep/pseuds/needsmoresleep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You are part of the Uchiha Clan…actually you're one of the remaining Uchiha heirs. Your brother is away and has been away for quite some time and you are the lost princess." Mon Meilleur Ami. GenderBender. Female Sasuke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Bloop_

That was all that could be heard from the dungeon room. All that she could smell as they headed down the dungeon stairs.

She watched as her brother ordered their knights to seize the prisoner who looked more dead than alive.

_Blop_

One of the knights had ruby red hair held up in a bun with bangs covering a masked face. Their pale skin could only be seen from their exposed ears. The draft in the room slightly caressed her own pale features, and her coloring wasn't just because of her natural tone, but from the conditions the dungeon was in.

Her brother motioned her to another room as the knights walked behind them. As they entered, she noticed a table in the middle with straps and metal bonds on one end, where she assumed a prisoner's legs were to be positioned. She was right, she noticed, as their current prisoner was harshly thrown over the table and bound. The prisoner's uncovered chest slowly rose and she wondered how he was still alive. From what she had heard, this man had been captured two weeks ago and hadn't spoken a word. Unfortunately for him, this meant he was to be tortured until he talked...

He didn't pull at the straps holding him down and his legs barely moved. The cold metal would surely cut at his skin, especially since it already fit snugly around his swollen ankles.

His face looked unruly, his head had been shaven, his eyes were barely open, he showed two weeks long unshaven facial hair, and his neck, all the way to his torso, had either bruises or red three inch marks. She didn't really want to know what caused this abuse.

_Bloop_

"You have another chance to give us information on who's plotting against us. If you tell us then your life will be spared...if not...well, I'm pretty sure you know what happens," her brother threatened.

He reached for a poker, which was handed to him by another of the knights, his grey hair betrayed his actual age and his slouching position gave an air of indifference. She followed the width of the poker and winced lightly at the hot tip. It seemed as if it had been in the coal oven for quite some time.

Her eyes roamed the room and she spotted other devices for the prisoners torture: pendulum blades, whips, branders, and other pokers were just a few things she could name. The walls were dark and some places showed burn marks. There was some dried blood stains on the floor and she couldn't help but shudder slightly. The only light that shone in the room was a dull light in the center of the ceiling.

"Sasuke," she heard her brother call and she turned back to the scene before her.

Her brother had already pressed the poker to the man's upper body but the man hadn't winced or made any other noises to suggest he was in pain, but as he heard her name he began to thrash around.

 _"Saassuke,"_ the man repeated, tugging at the restraints. She noticed the leather bonds begin to stretch as the man's muscles expanded. He had looked like he was ready to die at any moment just a few seconds ago, but now he was about to rip apart his constraints? Where had he gathered all that strength from?!

_Blop_

"We have to get the princess out of here," the grey haired knight nearly yelled, his relaxed posture gone. His eyes darted between the prisoner and her, as if debating what he should do. 

"You should also leave! We'll handle things here!" the redhead exclaimed.

 _"Raaaaaaaaaaa,"_ the prisoner was no longer confined and before she could glance at his face, and he hers, she was picked up and taken from the room.

"Itachi!" She cried out but she was already gone and secured in her living quarters. She knew there were guards posted outside her bedroom and some vigilantly watching her windows from outside, making sure nobody could enter from anywhere.

"You have to go help Itachi " she ordered the masked man that had taken her from the dungeon.

"You know I can't leave you," was their only reply.

She clenched her fists and glared at the door in front of her. She had been close to her brother when they were younger, but ever since he had been training to become the new ruler of Konoha they had grown apart. She had been thrown aside and had been pampered with jewelry and extravagant clothing while her brother had gotten most of their parents' attention. He had also been put to train under the Namikaze family, which was a family of knights devoted solely to them, the Uchiha clan. Her brother had always been given difficult tasks, but his life had never been put into any danger where she should actually fear losing him. He was a strong warrior.

_Bloop_

"You shouldn't worry. Both Kakashi and Kyuubi are with him. Nothing will happen to him."

She turned towards the voice behind her and frowned, "You're hurt."

The masked man stayed in a kneeling position next to her bed with one hand on his knee and another, the injured one, at his side. He raised his uninjured hand to his spiky blonde hair and laughed quietly. She just sighed at her blonde companion's tactics but it gave her something else to think about.

She went to her closet and took out some bandages, ointment, and rags. As she walked towards her assigned knight he stood up. She motioned to her bed and he sat down, letting her tend to his wound.

"How did this happen? It didn't seem like he touched you," she asked curiously.

"He managed to throw some stuff around. The one that hit me was a piece of metal intended for you, but I'm alright, don't frown," the blonde replied removing his fox mask from his face and perching it on his head.

"The man only reacted after my name was mentioned," she mumbled.

"What?"

"The man only reacted after he heard my name," she repeated, louder this time, but before she could mention anything else, her companion had already moved away from her. His mask fixed over his face, his bandaged arm hidden under his uniform sleeve, and his posture servile. 

"What are you..." her door was opened suddenly and a booming voice called out, "Princess, your father the King requests your presence in his office." She turned to see one of the guards that usually stood at her door. He looked worried though she wasn't sure why. 

She stood up to follow the guard, as did her companion, but before he could continue the guard stopped him, "Naruto, Kakashi and Kyuubi are in the dungeon. They need you to identify what occurred."

She turned back briefly to see her knight bow to the guard before disappearing in the opposite direction.

_Blop_


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke knocked on the door to her father's study politely and waited until she was called in. Itachi was already sitting across from their father and she moved to stand next to him. There wasn't a mark on him and no signs of any sort of physical strain. It was as if what happened in the dungeon hadn't even occurred.

Her father, Fugaku, ordered her to sit and Itachi just acknowledged her presence with a nod. His face was expressionless but his eyes showed some anger. His body was tense, as if waiting to defend against an attack or waiting for bad news, which was probably something that was going to happen. Her father was hard to please after all.

"Father," she greeted as she sat down. Her father barely looked at her and she kept her own face passive.

"I'm having the Namikaze check for any clues downstairs. Perhaps they may see something we missed," Itachi began. It seemed they'd already been conversing. Sasuke clenched her hands in her lap. That was never a good sign. 

"Sasuke," her father's voice resounded throughout the room and she turned towards him, "Itachi has informed me of what occurred. Did you know that criminal or have an idea of who it might be?" her father accused.

"No Father. I don't know who it was," she replied respectfully, though inside she was livid. 

There was a knock on the door and Fugaku allowed them entrance. There were two figures that entered, her blonde companion from earlier and a taller blonde man. Both wore masks of different animals. The shorter a fox while the taller had a hawk. The taller of the two carried a stack of papers in one hand and he was the first to step forward after a brief bow.

"What is it?" Fugaku asked grabbing the papers from the other man.

"The man captured seems to be a user, not naturally born. It seems that at adolescence, my best guess, he was injected and turned into a user. Like both Prince Itachi and Princess Sasuke witnessed, his type expands rather quickly and gains immense physical strength. However, he was inexperienced in fighting and was merely used as a way to gain information. There wasn't much he could have reported since the only people he came in contact with were his torturers, but before he was taken down there was a brief amount of chakra that quickly passed through the castle walls and disappeared. I believe he sent out a message confirming something. By what we saw it was most likely Princess Sasuke's whereabouts. He confirmed this when Prince Itachi spoke out her name."

There was a moment of silence where Fugaku just looked over the report. He nodded at some of the things and then placed the stack to the side. He turned towards the shorter blonde and Sasuke couldn't help but turn as well.

Their knights all had a certain gift that they contributed and one of them was the ability to see many small details and past events from a certain place, but they had to be in contact with the room it occurred in or have an object that had been present at the time of the incident. Usually when things occurred and they needed more information, Fox, her knight, was usually called to investigate. If he wasn't around then Hawk, the older blonde, would go instead. They were the most useful in those situations. This ability was in the Namikaze males while the females usually had the ability to heal or go through solids, which proved useful during infiltration missions.

Her father turned towards her and then announced, "You shall not be going out anymore. I don't need you being captured and exploiting our secrets. You will also be under constant surveillance. I'm sure Fox and Kyuubi can see to you. I need to speak to Itachi privately."

And like that she was dismissed. She hated how her father always looked down on her because she was female, the youngest, and hadn't come of age yet, which always occurred differently for all Uchiha's. Itachi had come of age at eight and had made a name for himself since then. Meanwhile, she was already fifteen and hadn't yet activated her family trait, the sharingan.

She nodded and stood up, looked at Itachi and saw how upset he was. Was it because her father believed she would betray them? Had betrayed them somehow? She shook her head and headed out of the study with the two Namikaze behind her. There were already two other guards outside of the study and, along with Fox, they escorted her to her room.

 

* * *

_Sasuke looked around but couldn't see anything. Everything was pitch black and she wasn't sure where she was at. She heard the quiet whispers of the wind as it rattled a few objects. She was standing up against a wall and was wearing what she assumed were her pajamas and her night robe._

_Bloop_

_She strained her ears to listen to the quiet noise that the wind hadn't been able to mask completely. She carefully walked in front of her, using her hands as guides, groping the air, trying to find something to guide her...she paused. She hadn't made it to the other side of the room yet but the floor had turned cold and moist._ _She bent down and swiped her fingers across the floor. There was something there, along with some chipped glass._

_She frowned, was it water? It seemed to be the only explanation. Perhaps someone had left a window open, a vase had fallen, and she had mysteriously not heard..._

_S_ _he stood, her musings all but forgotten when she noticed a dim light a few feet away from her. It seemed to be receding and so concluded she was in a corridor, but how had she gotten there? Hadn't she been in her room?_ _She carefully maneuvered around the broken glass and moved towards the light. As she moved farther and farther, the corridor seemed to light up and she noticed the floor was becoming more visible, however it only made her feel uneasy._

_Blop_

_She heard whispers as the light she was after slowly disappeared into a horizon. She didn't recognize the voices and scowled. She knew everyone that inhabited the castle, but she couldn't seem to figure out who the voices she heard belonged to. Both were male, of that she had no doubt, and their silhouette seemed strangely familiar..._

_She cautiously followed after them as they descended the stairs and made their way into a room downstairs. She turned back towards the corridor she had just come from and ignored the feeling of being watched._

_There was a noise in front of her and she noticed that it became louder the more she approached the light. The moonlight illuminated the furniture in the room she entered, and in the center was a sheet with something piled underneath._ _She cautiously walked towards the mound and reached a trembling hand at the familiar locks of hair stained red._

" _Kaa-san," she called out timidly. There was blood everywhere and she recognized the red stains on her feet. She knew she hadn't stepped so close as to touch it yet and she trembled at the thought that there might have been another body where the broken glass had been at._

_As her hands approached the familiar face of her mother, a hand caught her own and she stumbled backwards. She turned towards her attacker only to find herself face to face with a beaten and bloody Fugaku. His eyes had already glazed over but his face showed pain and disappointment._

" _Why Sasuke?" was what her father asked before she screamed out._

"Sasuke!"

Her frame was being shaken and she opened her eyes, looking around the room wildly as she let out a breath of air. Her curtains were slightly open and she clearly recognized her plain room. She was in her bed and everything was alright because it had all been a dream. Her family was resting now and there were no strangers in the house! But unease didn't leave her body.

"Are you okay?" she turned towards the concerned voice and noticed that a masked man was holding her arms tightly and their face was only a few inches away from her own. Still not completely over her nightmare, she attacked the masked man and rolled off of her bed.

"Damn, what was that for!" the masked man yelled out while removing said mask.

She climbed back onto her bed and just glared at the blonde heap on her floor, "Idiot, I thought you were someone else."

"Obviously," he muttered while rubbing his head.

"Why are you here?" she asked still glaring.

"You were yelling in your sleep so Kyuubi told me to check up on you and I did. He probably knew this would happen, the jerk."

Sasuke tensed once again and looked towards her window, "Naruto…is everything well in the castle?"

Naruto turned to her curiously and nodded. He didn't sense anything unusual, "Are you okay?"

Sasuke just nodded.

There was something wrong. There was something that warned her.

_Bloop Blop_

* * *

 

Sasuke didn't go back to sleep as soon as Naruto had expected. She'd rudely thanked him for waking her up from her nightmare, asked if he could stay until she'd calmed down, and then wouldn't let him leave until she'd passed out. He went to stand at her window, confused at what could have scared Sasuke so much,  _Naruto…is everything well in the castle?_

The moon was still bright and there was no movement outside. The usually crowded courtyard was abandoned and the chirping of the birds was nonexistent. He could hear some night creatures in the distance and could still see some house lights on in the town. The streetlights lit up the dark streets but nobody walked about at this time. He could sense the two guards stationed at Sasuke's door and Kyuubi outside. He stretched out quietly and walked over to Sasuke's bed.

Everything was fine. 

He looked down at Sasuke. It didn't look like she was having any trouble sleeping anymore and he smiled. His hand reached towards her face to remove a few stray strands of hair from her pale face while his eyes roamed her delicate features. Her lashes were elegantly long, her nose was small, she had her mouth parted slightly and her soft lips moved with every breath she took in. His eyes continued to move downward along her slender neck, her slightly uncovered chest and along her exposed arm. Her long fingers held the covers close to her body and his hand reached out for her own.

He frowned at what the light touch allowed him to see. He held her hand more firmly and closed his eyes, concentrating.

_Shattered glass with red liquid staining Sasuke's delicate feet._

_A dimming light turning into the living room._

_A pile of bodies with two strangers whispering._

_Sasuke reaching out for a familiar heap on the floor._

_King Fugaku looking at Sasuke with disappointment._

Naruto opened his eyes and frowned. His mother had told him about people that had visions sometimes while dreaming. It usually happened when someone wasn't aware of their power, but there was something wrong with this. Sasuke was from the Uchiha Clan and they had no history of users. They all possessed a unique ability that was passed down from generation to generation. The sharingan didn't produce visions.

_Unless Queen Mikoto's family had a history of users she didn't reveal._

It wasn't the best thing to doubt the Queen, seeing as she was his superior, but it seemed to be the only explanation. Out of the two, her blood was the most removed from the Uchihas. The least "pure"

_Or it could have been just a nightmare._

He grabbed his mask that he had placed on Sasuke's bedside table and put it on. There was only one way to find out.

He walked towards the door and turned back to Sasuke's sleeping form. Perhaps this was why she hadn't awakened the sharingan yet. It was believed that abilities were gender specific and if his theory was true, Sasuke might never awaken her family trait. _I seriously hope I'm wrong,_ not only because what he'd seen had been horrendous, but because Sasuke would never gain King Fugaku's approval like this (as it was something she unconsciously craved)

As he disappeared he didn't notice Sasuke awaken.

* * *

 

Sasuke woke up as she felt a draft come into her room. When she opened her eyes she noticed the door to her bedroom close. There was shuffling outside and then footsteps move away from her room. Were the guards leaving? She looked around her room but couldn't find Naruto. She threw the covers away from her and quickly walked over to her window. She couldn't see anyone but she could feel someone watching her. Perhaps it was Kyuubi. Naruto had said that Kyuubi was around as well.

She walked back to her bed and sat down for a while. Where had Naruto gone? Where had her guards gone? That was what bugged her the most. If the guards were just changing shifts then she would have already heard the next guards, but nothing was heard.

She turned towards the clock that hung on her wall. It was two hours past midnight.

She glared at the floor for a while before deciding to leave her room. She grabbed her night robe and tied it at the waist. As she opened her bedroom door she heard shuffling inside her bedroom.

"Princess," a male voice warned. She turned around and saw a red headed man kneeling in the center of her room. His masked face watched her quietly.

"I need a glass of milk," she lied. He disappeared from her room and she sighed. He was going to follow her.

She stepped out of her room and headed towards the kitchen, which was in the opposite direction of where she wanted to be. Her dream was at the forefront of her mind as everything seemed to match. She was in the same corridor, but instead of hearing the sound of the wind passing and rubbing against her frame, she heard quiet steps made with her bare feet as they padded against the marble floor.

She couldn't help but stare down at the floor briefly to see if it was like in her dream, but all she saw was the dark color of the marble. There were no stains and no glass shards. She turned towards the kitchen and headed towards the refrigerator. There was still milk and she quickly poured some into a cup, however, before she could pick up the glass, it shattered and all of the milk spilled to the floor.

_Blood._

The milk looked red and she fell backwards. That was when Kyuubi appeared and moved her to the opposite side of the kitchen. There was someone else present and she couldn't help but feel that the cloaked figure was familiar somehow. Her mother's midnight hair stained red came back to her and her legs moved without a second thought. She had to go see her mother and protect her! 

"Princess!" she heard Kyuubi call out, but the cloaked figure prevented him from following her. The man had a weapon in one hand and his other was covered by the sleeve of his cloak. She was about to stop and listen to Kyuubi, but she remembered her dream and just kept running in the direction she had been wanting to head to in the first place. Besides, Kyuubi was almost as good as her brother, he'd be alright. 

The corridor was illuminated by the moon, which still hung rather high in the sky. The curtains had all been pulled back and she felt dread. Usually the curtains were let down so that no light entered the house at night. She stopped by one of the windows and spotted someone running in the courtyard. It looked like someone from the Namikaze household, but she couldn't tell who it was. It also looked like they were chasing someone.

Her adrenaline helped her run quicker towards the living room only a few rooms away and down a flight of stairs. On her way down she almost slipped but caught her balance. 

Bloop Blop

She froze at the end of her flight down as she recognized the familiar sound from her dreams. It had been in her mind for days now because of a dream. The first one had just been that sound and the second one had turned the sound into the death of her family.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply before heading into the living room.

There were no bodies piled anywhere but the room was a mess. The curtains were ripped, the couches were turned over, the center table had been shattered, the walls had been slashed, and just briefly, she saw the source of the noise. There was a broken vase with water flowing outward and not far from it were droplets of blood.

The blood made a trail towards the next room and she grabbed the poker near the fireplace to use as a weapon. She'd never been officially trained in any kind of combat but she had no other choice. Kyuubi was preoccupied and, well...she wasn't sure where everyone else was at. There was so much damage in the living room but nothing had been heard. She hadn't heard anything, her family hadn't seemed to hear anything either, and none of the guards had been alerted of any danger.

It was as if nothing was going on. Like there was no enemy.

As she walked towards the next room, the smell of smoke assaulted her senses and her eyes watered slightly, but the fire wasn't in that room. Like the living room, this place had been destroyed, but this time there were bodies. She ran towards them and identified them as the guards that had been outside her door. They were badly wounded and barely breathing.

And that's when the alarm went off and everything happened quickly.

The windows were shattered and she ducked, placing her hands around her head. She wasn't seriously injured but some shards did scrape her. She heard some explosions from the other side of the castle and she quickly got up. She raised the poker over her shoulder as she heard some running. She moved towards the entrance and swung with full force at the intruder. The person fell over unconscious with blood rushing from their head.

She ran around them and headed towards her parents' sleeping quarters. The windows from the corridors had been shattered as well and some pillars had tipped over.

She winced as her feet began to bleed but she ignored the pain. Before she turned the corner someone grabbed her from behind and pushed her against the wall. She gasped at the impact and some blood trickled from her mouth. The poker that she held was now in the man's grasp. He grabbed it and smiled maniacally.

"Nobody said I couldn't hurt you…" he informed her, "as long as I don't kill you…"

He raised the poker just as she had when she stuck one of the intruders and she glared at the man, challenging him to try and kill her. There was a gleam in the man's eyes and he swiftly lowered the weapon in her direction.

However, before he could even touch her, there was a gaping hole in his chest and the grin on his face was no longer there. Instead he was in pain and his teeth were clenched. The poker fell from his hands and he grasped at the hand that was still in his chest before he went limp.

The person behind him removed his hand from his chest and grunted. The man's cloak was covered in blood and his hood surrounded his face, but somehow she felt like she knew the man. She didn't feel scared and that confused her. The man's hand beckoned her over and she couldn't help but obey. She watched as she stood up and followed him without complaint.

_What?_

"Don't struggle," and again she obeyed.

She could clearly hear the beating of her heart and the wind from the once quiet night. She could hear yelling and groaning. She could smell the blood that the man carried and she held her hand to her face. Everything was overwhelming her and everything became worse as she entered her parents' room and saw them on the floor.

There was a blade imbedded into her father's back and her mother was dead in a pool of her own blood not far from him. There was another person in the room and they ruthlessly removed the blade from her father's back.

She looked at her family's murderer and paled.

It couldn't be…

She moved away from the man next to her and from the one in front of her. She almost tripped over a small table but only a vase was shattered as it hit the floor. There was another body to her left but that one was hidden. She couldn't see who was beneath the cloak that covered it.

As she touched the wall behind her it shattered and something began to crush her.

"Release her."


	3. Chapter 3

Chidori watched as everyone walked from one stall to the next and made sure that they were still near the people that they were initially with. It was a dangerous neighborhood where crimes were common and missing people was nothing surprising. Houses were not a place to stay and sleep but a place to plan and gather. Exchanges were common and people who came into this side of the city were usually seen leaving with nothing but the clothes on their back.

There was a woman, she observed, who had both her children helping her carry bags filled with food for the week and she sighed. She looked at her hand and quietly counted to ten with her fingers.

… _eight…nine…ten…_

She quickly turned back to the street beneath her and she noticed a man walking alone. He had a bag strapped to his back and his appearance gave the impression that he was a moderately rich outsider. She quietly observed as he just walked around the street, peeking at some stalls, which were not exactly legal, and he sighed as he didn't find what he was looking for.

His dark skin was exotic and his ruffled hair looked silky and clean. She quickly brushed her own fingers through her hair and noticed she had a few knots in her dry hair. She continued to watch the stranger and noticed that he didn't make contact with anyone and she didn't notice anyone trailing him.

It was perfect.

He was completely alone.

She grabbed a pebble from the roof she was standing on and quickly threw it at the two men standing a few feet away from the building she was on. She noticed them curse and as they turned around she threw a few more pebbles to provoke them. She jumped off the roof of the building and onto some crates next to a stall.

"Hey!" she heard the stall owner yell out and she also heard the footsteps of the men she had assaulted.

She turned to look behind her and saw the two brutes catching up to her. She cursed and turned a corner. She looked in front of her and saw the stranger turn a corner at the end of the alley she was in.

She cursed out loud as she almost tripped.

She saw the stranger slow down and look around a bit wearily but he continued to head on his way. She tried not to loose sight of him. He was just a few feet away from her now but so was she from the two men behind her.

"Get back here!" one of them yelled and she saw the man in front of her continue walking. He had just turned into a "busy" street.

"Someone help me!" and she knew nobody except that stranger would help her. She slowed down a bit just enough to allow one of the men behind her to jostle her running. She nearly tripped, not expecting so much force from their rough hands but that allowed her to run into the exotic stranger.

"Hey..!" the man yelled out, ready to scold her but she beat him to it.

"Help me Mister! Those two men are trying to hurt me!" she cried out and even procured some fake tears. She usually didn't like to take this approach but it got things done and she noticed that it worked well with outsiders. She held on tightly to the stranger's clothing and he dropped the bag on his back.

"There you are! Pretty fast but you won't escape us now," the man who had shoved her threatened with a smirk on his face.

She felt the stranger in front of her grab her by her arms and move her to the side. She looked up towards him and she could see his dark eyes concentrated on the two men before him. His stance became more stiff and his legs moved further apart.

"I don't know what you two think you're doing but trying to hurt this poor girl doesn't sit well with me. You, girl, run, go on, I'll take care of them."

She watched as the people around them became tense and she moved back silently. She wondered if he could really take on those two brutes but she just turned around and ran. She didn't care what happened to this man. She had done her job and now she had to leave.

 

* * *

Kiba had been walking through the streets, just watching the people passing by and selling their merchandise. He didn't know why he had to be the one to deliver some clothes to Kurenai. They should have sent Shikamaru since he was more close to both Kurenai  _and_  Asuma but  _no_ they had to send  _him_  and what was worse was that they lived  _far_ from the Hyuuga residence.

It had been a month since Kurenai had been allowed to go home so that she could rest properly and give birth. She would then be given an extra month to recuperate before she was expected back at the Hyuuga residence and continue Hinata and Hanabi's lessons. But after arriving at her home, Kurenai noticed she had forgotten the bag of clothes both Sakura and Ino had given her for the baby.

He hadn't thought that he'd be the one to deliver the forgotten bag. He sighed as he looked at the stalls and the high prices. He wasn't sure why they sold things at such high prices if, from what he knew, this side of the city was one of the most poverty stricken in all of Konoha. He scowled at that fact.

Five years ago everything had been alright, but as soon as the Uchiha's had been massacred everything had been changed and not exactly for the best.

He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and examined it closely. According to what was written on it, Kurenai's house wasn't that far from where he was. He looked around and shoved the note back into his pocket. He turned at an alley and continued to walk.

"I'm almost there _,_ " he mumbled as he readjusted the bag on his back. He had to wonder about the stuff that Sakura and Ino had bought. It weighed quite a bit.

He slowed his walking as he heard someone curse and he briefly wondered where the sound had come from. He looked to his sides and couldn't find anything and the people didn't seem to react to anything, which made him readjust the bag on his back.

_Maybe it was my imagination?_

He shook his head and continued to walk forward. As he continued to walk he could hear some noise…like someone was running.

"Someone help me!" he turned around but someone ran into him and he almost dropped the bag that he was carrying.

"Hey…!" he was about to scold, but he noticed that a young girl was clinging to him.

"Help me Mister! Those two men are trying to hurt me!" her voice was alarmed and as she looked up to him he noticed there were tears in her eyes. He looked over to the two men that had been running after her and his bag fell.

"There you are! Pretty fast but you won't escape us now," the bigger of the two men threatened with a smirk on his face.

He glared at the man and swiftly moved the girl in front of him to his side. He would protect her, "I don't know what you two think you're doing but trying to hurt this poor girl doesn't sit well with me. You, girl, run, go on, I'll take care of them."

He didn't turn around to see if the girl did as he told her but her fading footsteps told him she was gone.

"This doesn't concern you kid so move," the smaller of the two men said.

He didn't reply as he began to tense up. The two men looked at each other momentarily and smirked at each other. He cursed as they both attack him simultaneously and he quickly dodged both their attacks. He turned quickly and kicked the smaller of the two while pushing the bigger. Unfortunately the bigger one didn't budge as he had thought and he stumbled backwards.

The bigger man managed to catch him by the arm and threw him towards a stall with people surrounding it. They scrambled away before he hit the stall and he groaned as he lay under the now broken stall. He looked up at the two men advancing towards him and he grabbed a wooden stick from under him. He aimed and threw it at both of them.

As they destroyed the wood he ran towards his bag and quickly picked it up. When he picked it up, the dog inside jumped out and began growling at the two men that had thrown him against the stall.

"Akamaru!"

The dog began to take on a red hue and his growling turned ferocious. Kiba growled as well and they both attacked the duo.

 

* * *

Chidori sat on a crate located on a roof not far from the fight that she had started. She was waiting to see what had happened but she didn't expect smoke coming from the scene of the "crime." Perhaps the stranger had been more capable then what she had expected and she wondered what both Suigetsu and Juugo would want this time, which reminded her…

She dug into her shirt and produced her spoils. It was a small bag with a crumpled paper. She grabbed the paper and checked what it was. She frowned as she couldn't read the entire message on it but from the many arrows and numbers that she recognized as houses she concluded they were directions. She placed the paper back into her shirt and opened the bag.

Inside she located what she had been searching for. There were some coins inside and she laughed quietly at what the stranger would do once he found out that his money was missing, not to mention the directions to his destination.

She poured some of the coins onto her palm and noticed a locket inside as well. She pulled it out and placed all of the coins inside the small bag and into her shirt.

The locket was very beautiful. The color was gold and it was oval shaped with red and blue flower patterns near the edges while silver vines were seen covering the back. The front had a few words printed and she tried to read it.

_I…l…lov…y…_

"I love you?" she wondered.

She turned the locket over in her palm and then decided to open it. Inside were two pictures, one male and one female. The female was beautiful with wavy hair, pale skin, and deep red eyes. Her lips were blood red and she had a smile plastered on her clear face. The man on the opposite side, however, was darker in tone than the woman. He seemed happy but the look in his dark eyes showed a tired side of him. He had a headband on and he had facial hair. He wasn't bad looking considering he looked older than the woman.

She closed the locket and put it in her pocket.

She had to head back.

 

* * *

 

Naruto laughed as he saw Kiba returning. His clothes were ruined, his face had dirt, and his hair was worse off then usual. He looked like he had trouble while heading to Kurenai's but at least he didn't have the bag he had when he left. That meant he had delivered it, right?

"Hey dog-breathe, what happened?" he asked while trying to calm his laughter down.

"Nothing," was his angry reply.

"Kiba?" both males turned around and were met with Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Kiba replied hesitantly.

"What happened to you?"

Kiba blushed lightly and looked away from both of his companions and mumbled something, however, neither of them heard him. Why did they have to make this hard for him? Couldn't they see that he was already embarrassed enough as it was? He heard Akamaru whine softly.

"What?"

"I said…!"

"…" and Naruto burst out laughing again while Kakashi just sighed.  _This_ was why he didn't want to repeat himself. Naruto was always laughing at his mistakes and he usually didn't mind. In fact, he would sometimes join him but this time…

"How did this happen? Did you at least take the clothing to Kurenai?"

"Yes…" No laughing matter indeed.

Kakashi noticed his hesitant reply and he asked him what was wrong once again.

"…the bag of money…the locket was inside too…I told Kurenai I forgot it…" He was seriously going to get it.

Naruto was no longer laughing but gaping and Kakashi's one and only visible eye was wide open. Kiba turned away from them both and the puppy in his coat finally decided to poke its head out. It barked loudly and both Kakashi and Naruto snapped back to reality.

"You know what Asuma  _would have done_? Do you know what Sakura  _is going to do_? We're going to die! Not to mention that was Asuma's family heirloom!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I know that, but nobody knows who the girl was. I was looking for hours," Kiba replied. He should have been more alert but there was something about the way the girl had asked for assistance. He had felt the need to  _obey!_  which left him behooved. He wasn't one to take orders so easily.

"What did she look like," Naruto asked.

"She had short black hair and was smaller than me. I don't recall anything other than that."

"Well you're never going to find her by asking people from around there. They all know each other and they all protect one other even if you're told otherwise."

"But we have to find the locket before Kurenai comes back," Naruto added.

"Mmm…fortunately for you two, I know who to ask," Kakashi replied with a gleam in his eye.

"…" both teenagers glanced at each other and then back at their teacher.

"You'll see tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

Chidori cut the vegetables skillfully and poured them into the pot of chicken. She put the dirty dishes into the sink and cleared the table while the stew sat on the stove. She checked the clock and nodded. They would be back soon and she was sure she'd have everything done by then. Today she had arrived home later than usual so she ended up starting dinner later as well, but if she made sure things went this quickly then she would be finished by the time they would arrive.

She turned on the water from the sink and shivered as cold water turned icy. She had to finish cleaning the dirty dishes. The bar of soap slipped from her hands twice but after a rub with the sponge she didn't need it anymore.

She turned to the clock once again and then to the house door.

A whistle snapped her back to her chores and she went over to the stove to lower the fire. She uncapped the pot and watched the steam flow out of the pot with the boiling stew inside. She grabbed a spoon near the sink and tasted it.*

_Not bad. I'm getting better._

She had needed to learn how to cook ever since she had arrived at her new home and her "sister" Anko had tried to teach her. At first it had been terrible, especially since she couldn't even identify the kitchen utensils, but after a few weeks she had learned the basics. After that she had gotten a few minor burns while helping out and a few cuts as well.

Now, however, she could make dinner with very few to no casualties. The taste of her food though wasn't exactly the best.

She heard some jingles as she placed the usual five plates on the table and she could already imagine what her sister would say as she walked inside. And, like always, Anko never failed her.

"Damn those idiot! Making my day more stressful!"

There was shuffling as the rest of her family walked inside and dropped off their coats and took off their shoes. Anko was the first one to enter and her stomping was followed by Temari who just looked at Anko with annoyance, then Kankuro, the second oldest, and lastly Gaara, the youngest out of the five of them. None of them were actually related but they called each other a family because in order to survive in the hell they lived in they needed allies.

Anko was the oldest out of them all yet she usually acted immature. On the other hand, there were times when she needed to be serious and it was then that she was truly lethal. She worked at a brothel not far from their home and since she was one of the most popular girls there, she was usually well taken care of. Temari also worked there but she wasn't as high up there as Anko.

Kankuro usually went around doing the same things she did, which was targeting unsuspecting people and then taking their belongings. He, however, was better at his job then she was because he had been taught to steal at a young age. Not only that but he also had an ability that allowed him to move objects around with energy threads that were invisible to normal humans.

Gaara was her favorite. He was usually quiet and she liked that he didn't pry into her business. If he noticed that she was acting strange or that she had something on her mind he would never ask questions and she liked that about him. His job was usually handled when interacting with the Boss, who made sure they had enough of anything and that they were never found to be guilty of certain incidents.

She grabbed the bag that she had taken from the stranger earlier today and as they sat down to eat she tossed Gaara the bag. He caught it without making an effort and checked the contents.

"Is this all?" he asked monotonously and she nodded.

"I heard there was a big commotion today near Jim's," Anko started as she finished serving everyone.

"Actually now that you mention it, one of my clients was looking for a girl that pick pocketed his friend," Temari mentioned while turning towards Chidori.

"They're making a big deal about it for just money?" Kankuro asked with food in his mouth.

"It wasn't just anyone she targeted though," Anko replied while looking at Chidori.

"They're idiots. If they were important then they shouldn't be too heart broken over a few coins," she commented while blowing on the hot stew.

Was it possible that they were searching for the pendant that she had found inside the bag? She had decided to keep it because it made her feel safe. There was something about it that was familiar and instead of handing it over to Gaara with the money she had taken, she had kept it in her room. She always kept some stuff and she was sure they knew she did.

"Just don't go making any trouble," was Temari's quiet reply.

Chidori just nodded and began to eat the stew that she had prepared.

She wasn't too worried about being found. Everyone knew that they shouldn't exploit each other and everyone was closely knit, as long as they didn't befriend the kingdom guards. Befriending the kingdom guards was like giving yourself up to the authorities and that was a no in their community.

Everyone looked out for each other, but they always put themselves first if things got risky.

 

* * *

Naruto walked behind Kakashi with a burning blush on his face. He had always believed that his sensei was a pervert and he knew that there was something strange with the little orange book he always carried around…but this! He hadn't expected for his theories to be proven correct!

When Kakashi had said that he knew who to ask, Naruto had been expecting some guy that was watching things play along in the poverty stricken Konoha but his thoughts had been proven wrong when they had arrived at their destination - a brothel.

Kakashi had asked for someone named Temari and a beautiful blonde had been brought to them in a room. She wore a beautiful red kimono that revealed her chest to a certain degree. The bottom flowed around her and made her look…ethereal. Her dark eyes looked at her clients and the smile on her face turned into a smirk.

Along with the blonde came sake and a few hours of watching Kakashi and her  _cuddle_. Most of the evening had been talk but as soon as it got darker he had seen his sensei's wandering hands move along the blonde's luscious body. He knew some strokes weren't just from over her clothes but under as well. Fortunately for him, nothing major happened between his teacher and the younger woman.

"What's wrong Naruto?" his sensei asked innocently but he knew better than that now.

"Why did we go…to a…brothel?" he asked, squeaking out the last word.

Kakashi laughed and ruffled the young man's head, "Already twenty-two and you still act like a child."

"I thought we were going to go look for someone who knew who this thief was," Naruto replied while moving his sensei's hand away from his blonde locks.

"We did go but she didn't know," Kakashi said with a sigh.

Naruto's eye twitched and he glared at his sensei. There was no way that they had gone all the way over to the brothel, which was, by the way,  _very far_  from the Hyuuga Estate, only to not gain any information on the stolen locket  _and_ nothing on the thief either! And now he wasn't even sure where they were anymore. The street lights had already lit up and the streets were deserted.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh, we're going to visit a friend of mine," was the response he got. He stayed quiet, just in case his sensei would elaborate but nothing else escaped the masked man's mouth.

They kept walking for a few more minutes and Naruto began to feel more tense the further they walked. It didn't look like they were returning to the Hyuuga Estate. In fact, it looked like they were going deeper into the Hebi district and the deeper they delved, the more shadows he saw. Kakashi, however, didn't seem to mind and he kept walking as if not noticing anything strange.

Before he knew it they were now headed underground and his nose wrinkled at the smell. The sewers weren't the best place to dwell in, especially if a person's nose was as sharp as his, "Kakashi-sensei?"

Perhaps his sensei didn't hear him or he decided to ignore him but the man just kept walking deeper and deeper until they walked to a dead end.

"Kakashi-sensei?" he called out again.

Kakashi only placed his finger over what he assumed was his mouth and made some hand signs. The wall parted slowly and Naruto couldn't help but gape.

Where were they?

"Long time no see Kakashi, what brings you here?" A man with long white hair asked as the two of them ventured into the abode. The place looked very dull but the people inside varied. Naruto recognized a few citizens from Hebi and Konoha City while others were foreign to him.

"You published a book recently," was all Kakashi answered and Naruto growled from behind him. Was this all they came for? A perverted book? And that man was the person who published it?

"Who's that brat behind you? You know we don't like children in here."

"Ah yes, forgive me. This here is Naruto Uzamaki, Naruto, this is Jiraiya Sannin. He's the author of Icha Icha Paradise and is very influential around the city and outside," Kakashi introduced with a curve of his eye.

Naruto bowed his head with a scowl. He had heard of the three Sannin siblings and about their wealth. One of them had risen to wealth by exploiting citizens and taking in women for their brothel, the second had inherited her money from her family and had been a great healer but had a great weakness for gambling and drinking, and the last was a writer of a perverted book Kakashi always carried around. He didn't think that one of the Sannin would be roaming around with all these people. Some of them even looked like murderers!

"…she had taken a necklace. Would you know who she is?" Naruto had been too busy looking around the hideout they seemed to be in and missed most of the conversation. It looked like a bar but there were pipes running along some places and made it look like a playground instead. The floor was mostly dirt while parts of it had concrete. There were crates against the walls and barrels huddled together. There was barely any light so he couldn't see the people in the place clearly but there was someone that caught his attention. There was an individual who looked a few years younger than him. Actually, now that he took a better look at things, there were also others younger than him, all ranging from perhaps six years old and older.

But that wasn't why that person had caught his attention. It was their eyes that drew him in. They were a light shade of green with heavy eyeliner that made him seem like an insomniac, or perhaps he was and was trying to hide it with eyeliner…He also had bright red hair, which he knew was not natural, at least not that shade. He had his arms crossed and was looking at them with annoyance. There was a tattoo of the kanji for LOVE above his left eye and he had no eyebrows, which made him let out a chuckle. This only strengthened the glare that the person was giving him.

"That's Gaara, you shouldn't anger him. He has a quick temper and tends to eliminate 'pests' if you know what I mean," was what he heard from their new acquaintance.

The white haired man turned away from Naruto once again and looked over to Kakashi, "Now about that girl you mentioned," this caught Naruto's attention and he turned back to the two older men, "I do know her. She's actually my gold mine. Out of all of my men," he made an arc around the place with his arm, "she is the one that brings in the most of anything. However, I don't recall receiving any locket with Azuma's picture."

"He knows Azuma?"

"Yes," Kakashi replied and explained. "Before he started doing this he was actually working for the Uchiha's. It was some time before you were born that he left the palace. He still received news after he left but he hasn't actually gone back to the palace."

"What does he do now? Other than writing," Naruto questioned while looking around the place. It was strange having so many people stare at him and his heightened senses didn't like it. He was alert and the sounds that he took in were only amplified because of his aroused state. Judging by the people here, he wouldn't be surprised if one of them attacked either him or Kakashi.

There was a slap to his back and he stumbled a few paces forward, "Relax."

"Have you not been listening to a word we were saying you brat? This," he motioned to his dungeon, "is the city's lowest scum. They steal and cheat to get money. I receive the money and get them what they need. If they need electricity in their homes I get it, if they need warm water in their homes I get it, if they need food for their families I get it. The new power right now is doing nothing for the citizens and even though we steal and cheat, it is only from those who venture into our territory."

"But there are a lot of people who don't usually come by here, what do you do then? Abandon them?" Naruto questioned with his arms crossed.

"Of course not. I work by writing the greatest book ever published," he took out a copy of Icha Icha Paradise, "and not only that but these people also have jobs. Not the best but they do try. For example, you see that woman over there? She works at a brothel in Hebi. Seeing as you two are here I'm sure you know what Hebi is like. Well she does it because she has a sick daughter who I am helping. That is how she will repay me. That man to her far right. His family died and he was left in debt. I helped him out as well by finding him shelter. He pays me by working for the city. As long as he brings in information and some money I let him stay at a beautiful house just on the outskirts of the city."

"Why don't you just go outside yourself? And a brothel? Are you really that…sick? To make her work there?"

"Naruto, its not his decision," Kakashi replied.

"What do you mean its not? He's making them pay their debts with him by making them work like that!"

"It's the city that does this," was the serious reply Naruto got from the Sannin.

"The city doesn't permit people from outside the city to work inside. Actually, a lot of these people were city folks that had to get accustomed to living here. Once you're kicked out then you very well can't go back. To the city you are a traitor and they make sure you stay out here. I've heard that you were also kicked out of the castle two years ago. Fortunately for your family, you found a place to go to. If your family had been nobody then you would be living here as well but you  _did_  know someone and you  _are_  someone."

"But…that man…he was kicked out wasn't he? Because of his debt?"

"That's true but before he was kicked out he contacted someone he knew who was up there. He asked for time so that he could pay back what he owed. He was giving a time period and during that time he met me. I needed information and he needed money. It worked out well. So, as you can see I'm helping these people more than what you believe. I make sure nothing happens to them and protect them from the city guards. Everyone here is a family."

"Satisfied?" Kakashi asked.

"For now," and Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair.

"Now that the brat is satisfied…"

"I'm not a brat!"

"You're acting like one!"

"No!"

"Gaki!"

"Pervy Sannin!"

There was a pause in their argument as some chuckles filled the room they were in. The chuckles then turned into full blown laughter and Naruto could hear Kakashi chuckle a bit as well. He turned to look at the people and saw them laughing and when he turned back to the Sannin he couldn't help but laugh as well. The man's face was red with rage and he could tell he was about to blow a gasket but he didn't care…until there was a big bump on his head.

"It is wonderful material Gaki, learn to appreciate!"

Naruto was about to start his argument again but Kakashi stopped him by placing his hand on Naruto's mouth and restraining him with the other.

"The information?"

Naruto stopped struggling at once and became serious. They really needed to get the necklace back. Jiraiya also straightened up and became serious.

"Well I already told you she's my best collector. And seeing as how your subordinate was easily tricked I have to hand it to her. She isn't the most… _exquisite_  of women but she has her style. Usually she tends to target merchants that pass by and other people displaying wealth. Since your boy was carrying a bundle of clothing she must have decided he had valuables. She was correct it seems, since this locket is so important that you'd even seek  _me_  out. Now then, I actually want to ask…why is that locket so important?"

"It's a necklace that used to belong to Azuma. It was supposed to be delivered to his wife."

"That wouldn't be the same one that the Sandaime used to have, is it?" the Sannin asked curiously.

"It is," Kakashi answered quietly.

Naruto just looked between both adults and couldn't help but feel that there was something more valuable about that necklace then what he had initially believed. It wasn't just a family heirloom anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

Chidori couldn't believe it. Last night Gaara had told her that some strangers had gone to see Jiraiya about something that was stolen and from what he could gather it had been her that had stolen it. She touched the necklace around her neck and frowned. Why was this so valuable to them? She could understand if it was because of the emotional attachments but that seemed too petty of a reason as well. They could have always gotten something else, right? They could have taken a picture again, couldn't they?

She shook her head and went to the kitchen to clean up. Again she was the only one inside the house but instead of being outside today she had to clean up. This week was her week to clean up so she had to clean inside, do the laundry, and clean outside.

She filled a basin with water for the dishes and just placed them there for a while with some soap while she swept the kitchen floor. When she was done she grabbed a rag from the kitchen's upper cabinet. It was actually their last clean one, which also signaled laundry day. She scrubbed and cleaned off the kitchen table with the rag. She placed it next to the basin of dirty dishes she had compiled.

She pulled her sleeves up and began to scrub away. The newly scrubbed dishes were placed in the sink where, when she was done, she would rinse. It didn't take her too long to finish the dirty dishes since they hadn't all eaten the night before, her being one of the few that had skipped dinner. The news about the people looking for her had made her lose her appetite. Gaara had apparently also skipped dinner.

She turned the sink water on and began to rinse the dirty dishes. Before she finished she had a strange feeling. Actually, she knew what the feeling was and no matter how many times it happened she could never get used to it. She turned the water off and placed the cup she was holding down without using her sight. Instead she used what she remembered and her sense of touch.

She sighed as she was blind and couldn't see anything in the house.

Instead she saw two men walking down the street and from the stalls, she concluded they were nearby. In fact, she would say they were too close to where she lived and that made her nervous. Neither of them looked familiar. Had Jiraiya given her away? Had he told them where she was staying at? Perhaps he had. She couldn't help but scowl at the fact that he said he'd protect her but gave those strangers her location.

"I wonder what she looks like. I mean for Kiba to have fallen so easily for her deception. He said it was something about her voice that seemed a bit familiar," was what the blonde was rambling about.

His companion was just reading a green book and she couldn't help the twitch in her eye as she recognized the cover of the book. If she wasn't mistaken, it looked like that new book Jiraiya had recently published.

Her vision faded into darkness and slowly, her sight started to come back. 

The basin was just a blurry gray figure until it began to sharpen and look more like a basin. She looked over to the clock nearby and figured they'd be arriving in, an hour? If Jiraiya had sent them then they probably wouldn't hurt her but she didn't want to part with the necklace. There was something about it that seemed familiar, like if she had held it before. However, it was too valuable that she doubted it. She looked around the house. She had to hide it.

She didn't want anyone to find it so she decided against any bedrooms and she decided against her own room just in case they forcefully decided to check. She had to find another place.

She quickly rinsed the last few dishes and cleared out the water from the basin. She took the basin to the backyard and headed back inside. Laundry was the next chore. Before getting anything she went to the living room and opened a trap door under the television stand. Gaara had told her about it after she had been accepted by him. He said that she'd be able to use it to store things temporarily and if she fit inside she could even hide herself. At the time she had fit without a problem but that was a year ago and she had grown a bit since then.

She placed the locket inside a small box and placed it inside the little space. She then moved the television stand back over the door and ran to the hallway where all of the bedrooms were located. Every week on this day the household would leave their clothing outside their doors so that whoever was in charge of laundry could take the clothing. If someone forgot then their clothing wouldn't be washed.

Today Gaara didn't have his clothes ready, which happened often so she wasn't worried. It usually meant that he took care of it beforehand, however, Temari's pile seemed almost nonexistent compared to the usual. Had she forgotten and rushed this morning? Perhaps.

She began by grabbing her own stuff and taking them out to the yard. As she did so she could see the two strangers a few blocks away. The blonde was still rambling and the other man was either ignoring his companion or listening. She believed it might be the former, seeing as he still had that little green book in his hand. She turned back to what she was doing and placed her basket of clothing on the floor. She filled up the basin with water and just before she turned the hose off she heard knocking on the front door. She decided to ignore it. If they heard her, they could come to the yard through the side pathway.

She placed all of her shirts in the basin first with some laundry soap, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

She heard footsteps coming closer and knew that her unwelcome guests had arrived. She turned around and could make out the shadows of the two men and turned back to washing. She had to act like she didn't have the necklace. She began to agitate the clothes thoroughly by hand and the footsteps stopped behind her.

"Excuse us for interrupting but we're looking for someone…" she turned around and got a good view of the two men. One was a tall with a head full of unkempt gray hair. His face was covered by a mask and a headband covered one of his eyes.

The shorter of the two was the one who had been talking, however he didn't finish. He was looking at her strangely. She could see wonder, amazement, sadness, and finally happiness settle on his gaze as he unexpectedly ran towards her and hugged her tightly. What was he  _doing_?

"It's been so long! Sasuke, why didn't you come back? Where were you? Why are you here? I missed you so much!  _How_  are you here? Sasuke!"

She wasn't sure what to make of this character but she reflexively punched him. There was something other than him being a stranger that made her reflexively punch him. There seemed to be something familiar about it.

"Sasuke?" the blonde crooned while holding his bruised cheek.

"Sasuke? I don't know anyone by that name. You should leave now idiot," she answered and got back to her washing.

"But…"

"Naruto," Kakashi warned and Naruto became silent, "we're sorry. We're actually looking for someone named Chidori. Naruto here mistook you for someone he used to know years ago."

Chidori looked back at them and sighed. She left the clothes in the basin and dried her hands on her clothes, "I  _am_  Chidori."

"Ah I see. Well I am Hatake Kakashi and this is Uzamaki Naruto. We are currently taking residence in the Hyuuga Estate," Chidori couldn't help but tense up slightly. If these were friends with the man she had stolen from and the Hyuuga's became involved she was sure Jiraiya would be displeased. He never did like commotion like that.

As if reading her mind the one named Kakashi spoke, "We had a friend who passed by a few days ago and he was pick pocketed on his way to deliver something. Jiraiya informed us that it was most likely you and since he's the big man around here we know he's not lying. We don't intend to get the Hyuuga's involved but we do need what was inside that bag. I'm sure you know what we're talking about…"

That was something to cheer about. No Hyuuga's meant no trouble.

"I'm not sure I know. It's true that I took valuables from people earlier this week but I never encountered anything worth more than a few ryō."

"It was a necklace, we know you have it," the blonde one accused.

"You didn't see it with me so I don't have it. Jiraiya never received it and everyone gives him what we find," Chidori defended.

The two men looked at one another and nodded. The blonde one headed back to the front and she followed, "You can't just break in."

"No but you're going to open up. I'm sure you want to clear up your name. The Hyuuga's don't really like loosing their stuff," the blonde replied with a smile and that made her scowl. She pushed him and walked in front. As she had thought, they would want to check inside.

She unlocked the front door and they both came inside, "Where is Hatake? I don't want him wandering…"

"I'm right behind you two."

She nodded and all three of them were in the kitchen. The taller of the two was the only one looking around while the blonde one just stood there with his hands on the table. She went around the table so she could see what he was doing and noticed his eyes roaming in the same directions, going back and forth. What was he doing?

He turned slowly towards the living room and then she understood, "What  _are_  you?"

The blonde ignored her and she grabbed his arm. He turned back to her and he seemed to be looking at her this time. The older of the two poked his head from the living room and asked, "Where is it?"

"In the living room," was all he replied.

"I asked you a question. What is your ability?" she reinforced while tightening her hold on the blonde's arm.

He felt a weird sensation, an urge and couldn't help but answer, "I can see events that have occurred with a touch."

Kakashi pushed away the television stand that Naruto had pointed at and smiled when he found the hidden door. It was a clever place to hide the necklace but with Naruto with him there was no way they could be fooled. He opened the door and peered inside carefully. It didn't look like there was something dangerous inside so he began to dig inside for the necklace and found a box inside. He took it out and examined it. It was small and brown with no decorations.

In fact, it looked pretty old.

He opened it and found the necklace inside but this somehow seemed too easy. The girl hadn't said anything and she was easy to find. He wondered.

"What's his ability?" she asked pointing at him.

"It's here," he called out and Naruto nodded.

Before they left Chidori called out, "Who are they?"

Naruto looked back at her and then at Kakashi. Once Kakashi nodded at him he replied, "The guy is Azuma, he died a few years back and the woman is his wife, Kurenai."

"Kurenai…" Chidori whispered and Kakashi narrowed his eyes.

"Thanks for giving us trouble."

And they left. Naruto walked alongside Kakashi and voiced out his concerns, "Kakashi-sensei…don't you think this was a bit too easy? I mean, we spent a while looking for her and nobody could figure out who she was. Then we go see your friend and everything pops into place…not to mention it was easy to find…"

Kakashi nodded and took the necklace out again. It did seem too easy but perhaps that was just what it was like.

"Kakashi-sensei, do you want some ramen? I'm hungry!"

Kakashi turned towards Naruto and smiled at his exuberant nature. He wouldn't mind treating him to lunch but…

"Hey!" he heard shuffling and he stopped a few steps away from Naruto, "my money…"

_He unexpectedly ran towards her and hugged her tightly._

" _It's been so long! Sasuke, why didn't you come back? Where were you? Why are you here? I missed you so much!_ How  _are you here? Sasuke!"_

"Why that…!" Naruto cried out as he couldn't find his Gama-chan. He turned towards the road they had just turned and couldn't help but want to go back and take back what was stolen from him. She worked fast!

He heard chuckling and turned to glare at Kakashi. He must have known this had happened from the start!

"Don't worry, we'll come back another day. Right now we have to get to Kurenai's before it gets dark."

 

* * *

Naruto couldn't sleep. He looked out the window and couldn't help but feel something happening. He heard Kyuubi snore in the bed on the other side of the room they shared and let loose a small chuckle. Kyuubi was sprawled out on the bed and his hair was in disarray. He spotted drool escaping the teens mouth and he pouted. He should be asleep like that not pondering over…a thief?

He walked over to the window and frowned. She had been so familiar yet so different. He was sure it was Sasuke even if Kakashi told him to forget it. The physical features were identical but that wasn't the only thing that assured him. Her personality had been just like Sasuke's and the way she made him feel when she ordered him…

It couldn't all be a coincidence.

Besides, now that he thought of it, Sasuke's body hadn't been found during the massacre and the bodies they did find were either not hers or burned to a crisp. Perhaps she had survived. He touched his arm where Chidori had grabbed him and frowned as the only images he got were those of her life. There was nothing about the Uchiha's.

"You still awake?" he turned towards Kyuubi who was wiping away some drool. He nodded.

"I heard someone stole your money today," Kyuubi added with a snicker.

Naruto scowled and blushed slightly, "I let her!"

"And it was a girl? No wonder…was she pretty?" Kyuubi asked while placing his hands under his head and one leg over the other.

Naruto paused. He had always been attracted to Sasuke and even now this Chidori person made him feel the same. His heart had skipped a beat when he heard her voice and the glow of her eyes had been the same…

"It can't be her," he heard Kyuubi add. Naruto looked over at him, startled.

"How did…"

"Kakashi told me about it. They may look similar but the princess died that night. There's no way it can be her," he said with a yawn.

Naruto shook his head, "It  _is_ her. I was her protector, I would know."

He looked back outside the window and silence enveloped both brothers. The moon was already high in the sky with a few stars shining down. The lights at the Hyuuga Estate were on and he could see some guards posted outside the gate and some inside as well. He followed the path that the moon illuminated and he couldn't help but be reminded of Sasuke.

_He watched as Sasuke finally settled into sleep and he smiled at her sleeping form. There was always something about her that made him smile, even the insults that they threw at each other._

_His hand reached towards her face to remove a few stray strands of hair from her pale face while his eyes roamed her delicate features. Her lashes were elegantly long, her nose was small, she had her mouth parted slightly and her soft lips moved with every breath she took in. His eyes continued to move downward along her slender neck, her slightly uncovered chest and along her exposed arm._

 

That had been the last night he was able to admire her beauty and he couldn't help but be angry at himself. He always prided himself in being the first to notice something amiss but that day everything had been a surprise. He hadn't felt anything unusual when the intruders entered the building. Only Sasuke had sensed something wrong, because of her abilities…

"That's it…but that would also go against me…" he muttered. Kyuubi glanced at his brother and sighed.

"You should get some sleep. It'll help you think about it," he said while turning to his side. He yawned once more and added, "And I'm tired."

Naruto watched as Kyuubi began to fade into sleep and nodded. He did need some sleep and he went to lay in his bed.

He just wasn't sure when it would come.


	6. Chapter 6

Loud footsteps were heard throughout the sleeping city but nobody saw where the noise came from. The night enveloped everything and the figures rarely went near the street lamps posted around Konoha. Their billowing black coats made them even less visible but there was one individual who stood out.

It was a young woman with white clothing. The contrast with the dark surroundings made her an easy target and her flaming hair made a disoriented silhouette. She walked over small puddles and once in a while she would step in one causing water to splash on her black boots. Her short skirt rode dangerously high with every one of her strides but she took no heed to the stares she received from the few citizens outside.

If they tried anything they wouldn't live to tell about it. She knew how to take care of herself. She smirked, and she wasn't alone.

Anyone with eyes could see silhouettes following her and their presence wasn't one to take lightly. Even the guards didn't dare approach her. She kept to herself and as she walked she went deeper and deeper into Hebi.

As she entered the new territory she noticed the winds change and everything became more morbid. The atmosphere was more tense, the streets dirty, citizens lying on the floor, garbage littered parts of the street, and most of all stares and glares were pointed right at her. She tensed up but ignored most of them.

If they even moved slightly or changed positions, she would know, and  _they_  would know too.

She continued to walk and she felt the night air begin to chill her. There was always something about coming to Hebi that just made everything much more colder than it really was. She stopped near an alley and couldn't help but smile. Memories were always held in every nook and cranny so she wasn't surprised to recognize so many of the places she passed by.

"Don't delay," she heard a whisper.

She scowled and crossed her arms. She was only taking a small break. She felt the air around her become even more deadly to the point of suffocation and she began to walk. Why was it that they felt the need to threaten her at every turn? They really needed to calm down.

She began to walk once more and headed towards the bright lights in the red light district. The place was more populated than the rest of the sleeping city and she felt disgust at all the perverts and molesters that hung around the place. She made sure not to make any eye contact unless she wanted a nuisance following her but even that didn't stop anyone. Some gaped while others gave her leering looks.

She heard footsteps behind her and only slightly quickened her pace. If anyone got too close they would take care of them. She had her own job to attend to.

She stopped walking as she stood before the brothel she had been searching for. She didn't know why she was always summoned to places like this for instructions. Couldn't she go to a club or even a place to get some food? It was always tiring to travel and a little food always helped get her energy back but no. She walked over to a man monitoring the customers as they chose their pick and gave him a folded paper. He looked her over and she couldn't help but feel disgusted. He nodded and told her to follow. She looked back at the women who were being bought for the night and couldn't help but feel some sympathy. Some of them hadn't chosen to live the life they had and those were the ones she felt for. The others…it was their wish to be there. She was glad she had left Hebi when she did, otherwise she would probably be in there as well, being looked at as some piece of meat that could be bought by dirty old men.

She was glad.

Now, if only her guy would give her more attentions. Like perhaps food after a long travel, then everything would be perfect, but she frowned as she saw him holding an albino wench.

She cleared her throat loudly as she entered the room and glared at the albino. The woman moved back into the man's chest, which only angered her more. Was that the type of woman he liked? She didn't understand. Her face was cute but her body wasn't anything compared to  _her_.

"Leave," she growled out and the wench quickly got up from between her client's legs. She scurried out of the room and bowed to close the door.

"How many times have I told you not to scare away the girls?" she heard her companion say in a calm tone. She turned towards him as he drank some sake and crossed her arms.

"You know I don't like it when you're with them. Besides, you don't need someone like that. She wasn't even pretty," she cried out with a blush on her cheeks.

She heard the man chuckle and he waved her over. She crawled over to him and he removed her glasses.

"Did you get what I wanted?" she nodded.

She felt her breath quicken as her companion moved closer to her. She hated the fact that he was always with someone else but as he moved in towards her and kissed her, she forgot he was ever with anyone else. They parted briefly and she felt her face heat up. He kissed her once more and asked her to begin her report.

 

* * *

Chidori watched as her new victim walked away without suspecting anything. She could feel the heavy bag in her sash and knew she'd hit the jackpot. Judging by the weight of the bag she could tell things were going to work well with Jiraiya. What's more is that she could probably keep some of her catch. She did need a washing machine. Cleaning by hand was starting to get tiring.

She didn't know why, but today there were quite a few visitors from the city. She saw them wander around aimlessly and wondered if they had been kicked out or were just passing by. Either way, this meant more money to take. She turned a corner and made sure to walk far enough that her earlier victim wouldn't find her.

Things wouldn't go well if she was found.

She looked back to see if anyone was nearby and ran to a nearby alley. She jumped onto the crates that were stacked up against the alley walls and used a pole to maneuver herself onto one of the roofs nearby. She ran and jumped onto the next roof until she was a few houses away from where she had started off. Deciding she was far enough after a few minutes, she stopped to watch over the unsuspecting citizens. Hearing some shuffling behind her, she jumped out of the way before anyone could hurt her. In her place was a bent pipe and she glared at her assailants.

"Juugo. Suigetsu."

Both men towered above her but she stood her ground. She knew how to defend herself, "What do you want?"

Both men smirked, "Payment for helping you out a few days ago."

She raised an eyebrow and they both growled. Smirking, she began to run off, which only angered both men. Their heavy footsteps echoed behind her, but she wasn't worried. She was much quicker on her feet then they were. Continuing to jump from roof to roof, Chidori made sure she didn't end up returning to where her earlier prey had been. She turned to see both men still pursuing her. 

"Chidori!" Juugo growled out. The man's fiery red hair matched the mood he was hauling around and she couldn't help but find it amusing. It was easy to get him mad, which made it fun to test his limits.

She looked over at the next roof she was going to jump towards and saw an empty crate. Rushing forward, she jumped and wasted no time in throwing the thing at them. As she did so she also threw a small bag filled with money from her pouch. That was the only thing they were getting from her. She quickly disappeared from her place on the roof before they could see her and blended in with everyone else on the ground floor.

"Damn it, she got away again," she heard Suigetsu mutter.

She made sure to hide her presence as she walked away. As she passed a stall she grabbed a shawl and left some coins on the table for the man to take. She covered her head and walked to the next busy street. She noticed a visitor looking at some merchandise nearby and went to stand next to them. Her nose began to twitch as the smell of nicotine invaded her senses.

She looked down at the merchandise on the table. There was jewelry, some clothing, and two crates with fruits. She reached over to grab some of the fruit and noticed the man beside her glance over. She looked at the merchant and he gave her a price. The man next to her came closer, hand already in his pocket as he pulled out his money, stopping her wandering hand. 

"I'll get that for you," he said as he paid the man and turned to look at her. She bowed politely towards the man and smiled. He reached over and put his arm around her shoulder, guiding her away from prying eyes. She felt the man pull her close and she tried not to breath in his stench. She began to eat the apple that she had grabbed and the man began to babble.

"What's a pretty gal like you doing around here? You should be careful. Guys around here might not be as nice as me," he began. She nodded.

"Well, I'm glad I met such a gentlemen," she replied with a sweet voice. The man laughed and she let out a few fakes of her own.

She continued to eat her apple as the man continued to talk. As they walked she noticed his arm begin to lower and lower until he held her by the waist. She twisted the shawl around her head so that it covered the lower half of her face. Perhaps that would help her breath easily? She frowned as it didn't work.

She felt eyes on her and turned around.

The man at her side stopped talking and turned around as well, "What is it? Did you see anything you like?"

She shook her head. She turned back around and felt her eye twitch as she saw the one person she wished wouldn't bother her anymore.

"Come on Chidori, we have to go home now," she heard his silky voice say. He reached out towards her and grabbed her arm.

"Hey there, hold it. She's with me," the man protested.

She looked at the blonde idiot that had her hand and watched the exchange between them. She heard a low growl coming from her new companion and noticed the man back off. She looked up towards the blonde and frowned at his eyes. She blinked and they were once more the color of the sky. Had she imagined seeing them bright red?

She felt him tug at her arm and she finished her apple.

Once they were far from the man she tugged at her arm and glared at the blonde. Why was he here? Was he going to take something else from her? Not that she should be speaking.

"What are you doing?" he asked her with restrained anger. She scowled at his tone.

"It's none of your business. I'm old enough and strong enough to handle myself," she replied while walking past him. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she was roughly turned around.

"He had his filthy hands all over you! Doesn't that bother you?" he asked while glaring at her. She looked at him confused. Why was he so upset?

She turned away from him, "I'm not your girlfriend."

She turned towards the blonde as he moved away from her with a blush. She couldn't help but smirk at his distress, "What's wrong? Saving yourself for that  _special someone?_ "

The blonde's face turned a bright red and she couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or from anger. She herself was but he didn't need to know that. She began to walk away and heard his quiet, almost nonexistent footsteps behind her. She turned a corner and knew the blonde was following her.

She hadn't expected to see him again after their last encounter, "You know this is called stalking, right Uzamaki?"

She turned towards him and crossed her arms. The look on his face was happy and she wondered why, "You remembered my name."

She looked him over and couldn't help but admire his looks. His golden hair was mussed and could very well look like he had just woken up. His bright blue eyes shined with happiness and the smile on his face made her mood brighten slightly. His happiness was contagious it seemed.

Instead of like before, when he wore a vest with maneuverable pants he was wearing more laid back clothing. He had on a bright orange shirt and blue pants that complimented his sun-kissed skin. She couldn't see any weapons on him but she was sure he wasn't walking around without something to defend himself with. He was a guard after all.

"Why are you here?" she asked while beginning to walk.

He hurried after her and even stood next to her. His clothing was a bit flashy but she could deal with it. At least he didn't smell like nicotine. She grabbed the shawl that had been around her head and pulled it off. She let it hang around her neck like a scarf.

"Well, I couldn't help but notice you were nearby so I came to see how you were. Not to mention you took something that belonged to me a few days ago."

So he had finally noticed. She still remembered the small frog that had been filled with money. She had kept the frog but gave the money to Gaara. It hadn't been a lot but it was something. You would have expected he would have more since he was a guard of a rich family.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied. She turned another corner and Naruto looked about.

"I want Gama-chan back," he looked around and frowned slightly, "Don't you get lost?"

Chidori felt like rolling her eyes but just gave him a look as if to say,  _Are you an idiot?_

"Heh, guess not. Where are you heading?" Chidori didn't answer as she walked into an alley and quickly jumped onto a roof nearby.

"You sure are quite the monkey," Naruto noted as he followed.

"When are you going to leave?" she asked.

"Gama-chan," he answered and she sighed. Was he really doing this just for a stupid frog wallet? She sat down against a nearby crate and took out what she had earned so far. There were two medium wallets and one that was nearly overflowing. She heard her companion whistle in appreciation. She just ignored him and began to count. She was sure she'd at least be able to keep half a bag. She felt the space next to her become occupied.

"Uzamaki," she warned.

"Hey, you didn't mind that stinky man," he said while wrinkling his sensitive nose. Then he placed his head on his hands, "Oh, and call me Naruto."

She looked him over and then went back to counting. It didn't take her long to count the money and she placed some into one of the small bags. That would be her keep. She placed them back into her sash and just fell backwards and looked at the sky. If she had to guess the time, she would have to say it was around four. She wasn't so worried about getting home, after all, it was Kankuro's turn to get everything ready for dinner.

Naruto watched her lay back and he nodded. It was definitely Sasuke. He was more than 100% sure of this.

Chidori felt Naruto's gaze on her and couldn't help but turn to look at him. The way he watched her was like they had known each other a lifetime. His look was so tender that it almost made her feel safe.  _Almost._ She didn't know him and letting down her guard around him would only make things complicated. She had to keep him at arm's length, just like she did everyone, even her family, who she had known for a few years were kept far from her heart.

Things always happened and she didn't need any strong emotional ties that would weaken her.

"Who was Sasuke?" she asked. Naruto smiled sadly and she felt curious. They must have been important if he was this broken up over it. Another reason she didn't want to make any friends. She didn't want to end up like him, looking at things sadly whenever someone was mentioned.

"Sasuke was my best friend."

_Best friend?_ It seemed like it might have been more if you asked her. The way sadness clouded his eyes with just the mention of that name. She didn't say anything as he muttered that phrase. Perhaps there would be more?

"She was a lot like you," he said while watching her. Well, she had gathered that much by now.

"She died, a few years back. She was a really stubborn person who liked to break the rules. It usually involved fights and afterwards she would end up in trouble, and me too, since I was always with her," Naruto chuckled while laying back with her.

She could feel herself tense up slightly. He was a guard and could be deadly so letting down her guard around him would be fatal but something told her she shouldn't worry. She didn't move from her place, "She lived in the city so her life was rather peaceful compared to other's lives. She lived a pampered life, with people at her beck and call if she needed them, but she hated that. She liked to do things on her own and did that often. Again, it often led to trouble. Her family wasn't the best either but, in her own way, she loved them. She especially admired her older brother."

"A brother?" she asked.

"Yeah, he was a few years older than her…" he paused as he turned to look at her. There was the same look as before.

She sat up from her laying position and crossed her legs, "Don't look at me like that."

He sat up as well, "Sorry, it's just that…"

"You said so yourself, she died," she could see him flinch slightly but she didn't care. Someone had to shed some light on the situation and if she had to, then she would.

"Her body was never found," came his reply, "there was a fire that occurred. It was really bad, but nobody that was found was identified as Sasuke."

"Perhaps her body was charred," came her simple reply. Sky blue eyes glared at her, "It's true, it could have happened."

He shook his head, "No."

She sighed at his stubbornness, "And how do I fit into all of this?"

"Well, I'm certain that you're Sasuke, everyone keeps telling me that you're not and that it's a coincidence, but I'm positive, I would know!"

"I've always lived here, there's no way that I am her," It was true to an extent. She had lived here ever since she could remember. The life of a thief had been drilled into her skull until all she could think was to steal. Everything she did involved that little concept. Why? Because it was her responsibility.

"You are," came his reply, his stubborn eyes drilling into her own.

"You have no proof," came her angered reply. Everything had seemed passive up until now. It was just listening to the life of someone she didn't know, but now Naruto was trying to push that life into her own. There was no proof that it was true. He was only going by appearances. There could have been millions of people that looked like his dead friend.

"You're enough proof!" came his reply. She stood from her place and was about to leave but an arm grabbed her.

"Let go!" she demanded.

"Listen," he pleaded. She felt herself almost give in but if he let go she would surely run. He must have felt that because he didn't let go.

"For one, you two are identical, physically," she was about to protest but he didn't allow it, "…and not just because you two have black hair and eyes. Your height is exactly where she would be at and the scars you have…"

"All of them from the kitchen and rough playing."

"No, the one on your back, it was caused because I wasn't careful!"

She paused.

She did have a scar on her back, but she had just passed it off as a birthmark. Nobody knew about that mark, not even her family. Anko and Temari had never seen it.

"Coincidence," she countered, "Are you stalking me?"

She glared at him as he smiled, "No! I knew it! You do have it!"

Which meant she had fallen for his trap. She pulled at her arm once more. She had once wished upon a family and had always dreamt about finding out that she wasn't alone. She had envisioned herself a part of a family that loved her dearly and of one that was searching for her even now. That had been years ago. She wasn't as naïve as she was before and these coincidences were starting to turn her world upside down.

"What was her surname?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Her complete name!"

"Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha," and that was all she needed. She pulled her arm free from his grasp. She couldn't believe he was spouting nonsense like this. Her? An Uchiha? Not even in her dreams!

The Uchiha was a powerful clan that had ruled Konoha for years. The wealth that they had possessed was beyond what she could imagine. She always heard good things about them but her? No, she was a thief and that was all she had been since the day she could remember.

She left him behind as she ran from roof to roof.

Luckily he didn't follow.


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto couldn't help but walk about, dejected, with a look of death on his face. He hadn't been able to go after her once she had left. How could he? The look on her face had practically spat everything he had told her back in his face. As soon as he had said Uchiha, her whole demeanor had changed and she had all but laughed in his face.

He sighed as he headed to his room, which was one of the many rooms in the back quarters of the servants' large complex. His room was also one of the rooms closest to the Hyuuga estate, which was built right next to the servants' complex. Or rather, it was the other way around. Someone could have probably attacked right now and he would be unaware of things, which showed how bad he was feeling.

He had gone with a purpose - to get Gama-chan and to just see her. It was enough to satisfy his aching heart but then he had seen her being chased by those two crones and his anger and worry had overwhelmed him. However, the way she had handled herself, it surprised him how she could maneuver around so quickly and efficiantly. The Sasuke he had known had always wanted to move like that and she had managed to, just not so fluently.

Her environment must have forced her to develop that skill.

Then when she was with that man. He scoffed. That guy shouldn't have even been considered a man, much less human. He could smell rapist and murderer all the way from where he had been watching her. The way he oozed nicotine and alcohol. It had irritated his sensitive nose, and Sasuke was being held by him! How could she stand it?

He knew he couldn't and when that lecher's hand moved to Sasuke's waist. That had been enough for him to step in. He frowned at the thought that Sasuke did these things on a daily basis and all he wanted to do was take her away from the morbid community. The only problem with that was the fact that she didn't recall anything from her former self and didn't believe a word he said about it. He couldn't help but sigh, which seemed to be the only thing he had been able to do since he returned.

"You're going to wither away if you keep doing that," he jumped slightly as a melodic voice whispered in his ear from behind.

"S-Sakura-chan," he stuttered, his heart going a mile a minute. Sakura only laughed at his reaction.

"You're going to get killed if you go around walking like that. You know its rather dangerous," she continued. Naruto watched as Sakura walked ahead of him, her hips movingslightly from side to side as she carried some clothing.

"Hey, let me help," he said as he walked over to her. She let him take the basket of clean clothing from her hands. They had known each other for a while now. He had first met her while he had been serving the Uchiha's. Sakura was a medic who had worked for the Hyuuga's for as long as she could walk and talk. In fact, if he had to give her a position with Hinata, the Hyuuga's eldest daughter, he would say they were bestfriends. He sighed as that only reminded him of Sasuke.

"What's wrong Naruto?" he watched as her emerald eyes shone with worry.

"It's nothing much, don't worry," was his reply as he smiled at her.

She stopped in front of him, her hands resting on her hips and he could feel her temper rising, "I thought that we had become good friends since you arrived here. I always tell you about my problems and you always listen, now it's my turn, now spill before I spill something else."

Her hands called into fists and he could feel her strength invading his senses. He knew she was a rather strong fighter, despite her focus in medicine. He sighed once more and chuckled as her earlier words came to mind. Perhaps he  _would_  disappear if he continued to sigh all day. And having someone hear him out seemed like a good idea.

He conceded, "Ok, ok. But let's go elsewhere."

She smiled and nodded, "My room, so I can finish up the laundry too!"

He smiled at her now chipper mood. Women were scary when they were mad, especially when it was Sakura Haruno. They both walked into the servants' quarters and walked to her room, which was closer to the forefront but still rather deeper within. The quarters were spilt up into sections. The forefront and closest to the gates of the large estate, were regular servants who did the everyday chores such as maids, cooks, gardeners, butlers. The section after that were other more specialized workers that had been with the Hyuuga's since generations before, like the Uzamaki-Namikaze were to the Uchiha. This included healers and agents. Then, in the deepest crevice were all the Uzamaki-Namikaze and other workers that had come from the Uchiha estate. Most were users like him.

The structure was built in a way that it surrounded the Hyuuga mainhouse from both sides and the back, which made it look like an unconnected U. Then to the side of the servants' quarters was the lower house of the Hyuuga's, which also had their own servants and guards at their call.

He walked into Sakura's room as she opened the door for him and he placed the basket of clothing on her bed, "Take a seat."

He did as he was told and he sat down on a chair positioned in front of a dresser. Lotions, make-up, and other toiletries littered the top and he could see himself reflected in the mirror on top of the dresser.

"So, tell me about it," Sakura insisted, "I know it has to do with that girl that Kiba encountered a while back. Kyuubi told me you had some suspicions about her being Sasuke."

Naruto nodded, and became serious, "You know that her body was never found and the fact that Lord Fugaku suspected she might have been the one leaking some sort of information, really doesn't make things good. The prisoner, on that night, sent out a message, and then all of that happened..."

He felt a small hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Sakura looking at him, "You know it's not your fault..."

"It was!" he cried out, "If I had been more alert. If I had sensed something amiss, then nothing would have happened!"

Sakura frowned, "Come on now, I didn't bring you here so you could beat youself up. And it's like you said, her body wasn't found so maybe she's alright. And if what you think is true, she's much closer than you think."

"But she doesn't believe anything I say," he growled, running his hands through his hair, making it messier than it was before, "I told her about what she was like but all I did was say Uchiha and she scoffed at everything I said! And you know, she proved my suspicions true. I told her about a scar that only Sasuke would have, and she has it! I wasn't sure if she would but I thought I'd give it a try, and she admitted to having it!"

Sakura began to think, her hand holding her face contemplatively, "You know, I'm surprised she survived that long to begin with."

That caught Naruto's attention, "What?"

Sakura continued, her hands now resting on her thighs, "Well, I know that the outskirts of Konoha haven't always been the best, but they also weren't the worst, like they are now. I'm sure they saw Queen Mikoto and Princess Sasuke at some point, be it from afar or from some sort of media. Chidori, that's her name right?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered hesitantly, understanding coming to mind.

"And she looks exactly like Sasuke would, did."

Naruto nodded, a twisting in his gut made it harder to breathe.

"And if you were able to identify her so easily..."

"But I was her protector. It's only natural that I would be aware of things others wouldn't be aware of. We knew each other since we were children," Naruto began, panic beginning to fill his bright blue eyes, which seemed to be loosing their usual colorful shine and taking on a more duller one.

"Her enemies would surely be aware of certain things. She did go out often is what I was told, which means people saw her often. I know she didn't leave the estate perameter but still and I'm not accussing her of anything but people aren't blind. People are always watching."

"She's in danger! I have to go to her!" Naruto exclaimed, raising from his seat and in that instant an explosion was heard not far from them. They both looked out the single window that was in the room and gasped as a rain of kunai with explosive tags rained on the roof of the servants' quarters. An explosion followed after and they both ducked as the building started to fall apart. Dust filled the air and Naruto stood from his place on the floor.

"The people...!"

"I'm on it!" Sakura cried out, "You go take care of them!"

Naruto nodded, leaving the room through the now shattered window while Sakura left through the door, wandering through the now burning quarters, searching for the injured. He could feel his heart pounding as images from the night five years ago invaded his senses. It was just like that time! He hadn't been able to sense anything when they had been attacked. In fact, the only reason he had noticed anything amiss was because of Sasuke's dream. If she hadn't had the dream, would things have been worse? He wasn't sure how that would even be possible. The whole of the Uchiha's had been killed.

All except for one, if his suspicions were correct, which he was more than 100% sure on.

His family and the Hyuuga guards were already engaging the enemy and he moved to help, only to stumble backwards as a gaping arc was made before him. The ground had fallen in and before him was the culprit. He couldn't tell who they were or even what gender they werebecause of the clothes they were wearing. Hoods and masks covered their faces and instead of having creatures on their masks, they had strange symbols. The Uchiha guards had creatures, the Hyuuga guards had patterns across the forehead and the bottom of each eyes, but these, he hadn't seen anything like these masks before. There was no pattern or figure, only symbols running from top to bottom.

He jumped in the air, moving to attack, while his attacker decided on defending. His blows were easily blocked and he could feel his anger rising. They had destroyed all of the servants quarters and they still continued to destroy. He could feel his chakra flare as his attacks became more feral. A kick to the stomach had the attacker rolling on the ground. He threw a couple of kunari and was satisfied when they met their target. A single clothed hand was tightly imbedded to the ground but a hard pull from its owner unhooked it. The kunai fell to the floor, blood coating the metal.

He moved without a second to lose and he found himself pinning the being, his bare hands touching the wrists of the person. His eyes were now red as he watched everything that had occurred: a being with black clothing, a woman who was like a fallen angel, a large throne room, a bloody bed, bandages.

His nails dug into the person's body but the person didn't cry out. Instead, they placed an explosive tag between the both of them and before he could move, the explosion caught him and he was blown back. His eyes wide, he ran to the person, who was now dead, and not from the explosion. They had a rain of kunai all about their body. Their mask had cracked and the dead expression of a woman staring into the sky was revealed to him.

"Naruto!" he turned to see Sakura running to him, "Are you okay?"

He could feel her probing hands, making sure he was unharmed but something caught his attention. A single paper was left on the body.

"They left, I don't know what it was they wanted. Lady Hinata is still safely inside, as is Hanabi, Naruto?" Sakura watched as he grabbed the paper with trembling hands.

Printed on there was Chidori on the rooftop somewhere in Hebi with a large red X and the word  _eliminated_  scribbled on the bottom. His body moved before he could think and he was gone before Sakura could say anything.

All Naruto could think was,  _I can't lose her! Not again!_

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story that was originally posted on Fan-fiction with 11 chapters in 2011. It currently has the same amount of content.  
> The only difference is that the chapters are longer. Some editing was done, however, it was not extensive so expect  
> some repetitive sentence structure in the first 6 chapters. Enjoy! (9/22/2013)


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